Can opener



J. A. FELTON CANLGOPENER inal Filed Jan. 51, 1920 4/4 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1923.

JAMES ARNOLD FELTON, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed January 31, 1920, Serial To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Janus. A. FEL'LON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Can Opener, of which the following is a specification, the same being a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for making incisions with edged tools, and particularly to an appliance adapted to be used for the purpose of cutting out the top face of scaled vessels, and commonly designated as can openers, and it has for its object the provision of means for the production of an article'of this description which will be readily adjustable to any'size of can and which will also be simple, quick and positive in operation and of low cost to manufacture.

With these and other objects and desirable purposes in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and operation of parts hereinafter set forth. 7

In the drawings, illustrative of one em bodiment of the invention, which accompany and form a part of this specification,

Figure 1 represents an elevation of an article made according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the toggle levers, the parts connected therewith being omitted for clearness of. illustration; and

Figures 3 and 4 are views in detail respectively of my combined guide and cutter, and the toggle joint pin.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a supporting frame preferably comprising a standard having a base portion and suitable attachment means, as'a screw clamp 2, and an arm 8 adjustable in height on the standard according to the size of the can which is to be operated upon, which arm carries at its free end a plate 4 by means of a spindle 5 rigidly attached to the latter and being journaled in the said arm. The upper part of the spindle is provided with manually actuated means and is preferably square edged in order that the said spindle 5 and plate 4 may be rotated or turned in a circular direction as by turning the crank arm 6.

In the plate 4 are preferably out four radial slots 4 spaced from the centre of the plate and running at right angles to each other, which slots serve as channels or Ways in which work pins 7, the said pins com- No. 355,516. Renewed September 29, 1922. Serial No. 591,411.

prising a head portion, a square shank, and 6 a round end portion, which may be held in operative position by means of washers 7. The said square shanks, which work in the slots 4, are passed through, throughout their extent except the heads thereof, square orifices in the guides 8, located beneath the plate 4, and to the round ends of the said pins are pivoted, above the said plate, toggle lovers 9, the toggle levers and pins being held together by washers 7 at the joint "7 9 thereof, and the said, toggle levers are preferably so constructed that they willbe expanded as they move in one direction and contracted as they move in the opposite one. I prefer to use only two guidepieces 8 located at opposite ends of the toggle levers, which guides always hold the cutters 8 a fixed distance from the edge of the can.

lVhen theplate 4 is placed upon the'top of the can which it is desired to open, the

guides S are pushed toward each other so as to rest against the body of the can, the

position of the toggle levers being thereby changed according tothe particular conditions of use, while'the cutters during this adjustment always work in radial lines, as is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings.

By now pressing the plate 4 downwardly V the knives or cutters 8, carried by the guides 8, will be forced through the top face of the can, whereupon by turning the crank arm 6, the plate 4, toggle levers 9 and guides 8 will be rotated in unison and the said knives will cut out a disk from the top of the can; or, if desired, by the use of a stop 3 located on the arm 3, a full revolution of the cutters will be prevented, thereby leaving a portion of the top of the can attached to and integral with the body thereof in order to serve as a hinge for the purpose of affording a means of opening the can, and also to allow the can to be closed again, if so. desired, by bending the said disk portion in a downward direction. The cutters are firmly supported'by the guides 8 which bear against the body of the can, and by the impact of the squared pins (carrying the guides 8) against the sides, or side edges, of the slots 4', a great leverage is obtained which imparts strength to the 1 device and enables it to =work positively and with rapidity. I prefer to provide the. frame 1 with a projection 3 to form a stop in order to prevent undue fall of the arm 3 whichniight cause. the cutters to strike against the base of the frame, thereby causing injury to the same. As theten'den'c'y of the action of the toggle ;centreflofthe plate 4, and as this tendency is corrected or o-verbalanced by the guides 8 which set against or hug the body of the,

can, a true circle will be cut by tlie knive in every case.

It will be noted that the forms or sizes of theca'n to be opened have no effect on the 'operatiouot the device, and that the cutters describe a perfect circle of the required size and turn the metal down so smoothly that danger of cutting the hand thereon is completely averted.

I wish it tobe understoodthat I do not desire to be limited to the particular use or theexact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art.

IVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a device of the class described, a plat e'having a plurality of guide channels formed in the same, a plurality of cutters to work in said channels and having guides at opposite sides to rest against a vessel andr'esist inward movement of the cutters and positioned below the plate, supporting means tor the cutters to adjust the same to dilierent widths of vessels and comprising" oppositely disposed means adapted to expand when moved in one direction and to contract when moved in the opposite one andlocated above the plate, a crank arm,

. and connections whereby by rotating the crank, the oppositely disposed supporting means for the cutters being drawn toward each other, the'cutters willbe operated and the guides-tor the latter will be held against the sides of'the vessel.

2. In a deviceotthe class described, a platehaving' a plurality of guide channels and cutters. to work therein positioned below the plate, supporting means for the cutters to work in said channels to adjust the same to. different widths of vessels and located above the plate, a crank arm, and

connections whereby by rotating the crank the cutters willbe operated,

3. In a device of the" class described, a plate having a plurality of guide channels and cutters to work=therein located below the plate, supporting means for the cutters to work in the said channels to adjust the former to different widths of vessels and p located above the plate, crank arm,5 and levers 1S to draw the cutters toward theconnections whereby by rotating the crank the cutters will be operated, and also means whereby the cutters. may be" operated at different heights from a support.

4. In a device of the'class' described, a suaaort a )late with a )luraht of ulde" channels, a plurality of cutters to work'in said channels and having guides at opposite sides to rest againsta vessel and resist inward movement of the cutters-'andpositioned below the plate, supporting means for the cutters to adjust the same to different widths o'f'vessels and comprising oppositely disposed means adapted to'expand when moved in one direction andto'contractwheninove'd inthe opposite one and located above the plate, a crank arnnan'd connections whereby by rotating" the crank, the oppositely disposed supporting means for the'cutters being drawn toward each other, the cutters will be operated and the guides for the latter will beheld against the sides of the vessel, and an'adjustable arm carried by the support whereby the said cutters may be operated at different heightsfrom the support. 7

5.-In a device of the classdescribed, a plate having a plurality of guide channels formed in the same, a plurality of cutters to work in saidcl1a11nels and having guides at opposite sides to rest against a vessel, supporting means for the cutters to' adjust the same to different widths of vesselsand comprising oppositely disposedv means adapted to expand when moved in one direction andto contract when moved in the-opposite one, a crank arm, and connections whereby by rotating the crank, the cutters will be operated andt'he guides for the latter will. be he'ld'against the sides of the vessel. 

